Setting the Army ApartBy Kelli Bland, U.S. Army Recruiting Command PAO The Army is not connecting with potential recruits like other services. That’s right. We don’t give America’s youth a good picture of who we are, and there’s research to back it up. The Army’s challenge, according to Dr. Sean Marsh, Joint Advertising Market Research & Studies program, is to personally connect to the youth market and provide relevance to their future goals. Marsh shared the latest JAMRS research with brigade and battalion leaders present at the Annual Leaders Training Conference at Fort Knox, Ky., Feb. 25 and gave them some things to think about in determining how the Army sets itself apart from the other services. To illustrate the perception young people have of each of the services, Marsh discussed an exercise JAMRS does in their youth focus groups. The facilitators ask those in attendance to close their eyes and think about what comes to mind when they think about each individual service. Through this exercise, Marsh said JAMRS has discovered there is a clear picture of the Marines as warriors, the Navy as the global force and the Air Force as a group of technical professionals. So where does that leave the Army? “There isn’t a clear description yet in terms of who the Army is. What does it look like?,” Marsh told the group of leaders. “At this stage, that’s what kids need. Because they don’t understand the details; they don’t understand the specifics [about the Army]. They need to have in their heads some idea of what your personality is. Who are you? What do you stand for? What makes you special? That’s something they are trying to get answers to.” It’s not clear to young people today how service in the Army connects back to their personal goals, Marsh said. Research shows that 74 percent of new recruits said information from a recruiter was either very important or important in their decision to enlist. Recruiters have the power to shape the message, to tell the Army story and ensure each new recruit they encounter understands the connection between the Army and their own personal goals. More than 90 percent of kids want an attractive lifestyle and a job that makes them happy, Marsh said. The challenge for recruiters is to help them understand the Army how the Army can provide both.